Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania has an excellent display of Bonsai Trees in their conservatory. I’ve included a few pictures of this beautiful art form on the blog today. My favorites are the plants trained to appear as a small grove of trees in a forest. Lovely!
I have been pressing hundreds of Maple seeds each day. The trees are at peak production at this time of year, although some varieties produce seed in the Autumn. The proper name for Maple seeds is Samara. They are also known as whirlybirds, helicopters and keys. I press Maple keys by cutting away the seed, and gently heating them in a book with porous pages.
Maple keys come in a large variety of sizes and colors. I pull some of the keys from the trees to capture their bright green, pink or apricot colors. The seeds quickly fade in color after their whirling flight from the mother tree, but these muted colors also have great uses in pressed flower compositions. Pictured below are a few ideas for using Maple Keys.
Two halves make a pretty heart shape.
Combined with other flowers and leaves, the keys create interesting effects as butterflies and dragonflies.
Maple keys make great fairy wings.
Maples are amazing trees. They provide us with many products. Maple is used for fine furniture, the sap makes amazing syrup, and new to me was the fact that you can actually eat the fruit of the tree. Remove the husks from the seeds and they can be boiled, roasted and even pounded into a flour. Amazing! God has given us so many beneficial trees in our world, and I am very grateful for the beauty and resource of the common Maple tree.
Preparedness Tip: How to use Maple seeds as a food source.
The Coleus started in January have grown into these gorgeous plants. Even though it seemed early, January was the best time to start my coleus seeds. I am planting them out this week. The roots have outgrown the small Dixie cup pots, and the soil they are planted in dries out in a day. It might be a tad chilly at night, but I doubt we will experience another freeze. I will have my bed sheets and tablecloths at the ready though, just in case.
Coleus Sprouts in January
I was unhappy with the Rainbow Floral Strain of Coleus seeds I purchased. As they developed they showed no promise. I did not keep any of the plants beyond a few weeks.
I love my groundcover plants. I have quite the assortment. I have found many of these in places people have dumped their lawn refuse. These include: ajuga, vinca, lamium (archangel variety) and ivy. I’ve purchased creeping jenny and sweet woodruff, and the small price I have paid for these has been well worth it as they have multiplied and covered areas that aren’t conducive to growing other garden plants.
My Winter Sowing has been a wonderful success. A few things did not come up, but I think the seeds I used in those instances can be called into question. The seeds that did not sprout were older, and some came from seed exchanges, and I wasn’t sure about their age or viability.
I am sure that I will winter sow every year from now on. I also will use only the larger sized milk gallons in the future. The juice and soda bottles also worked, but the seeds sown in the milk jugs sprouted and grew better. The stars of my winter sowing are the poppies and andrella asters. I’ve already transplanted the bread seed poppies into my Square Foot Garden. Even though they have taproots, they adjusted within a week, and are growing at a quick rate. The annual poppies I sowed are doing even better. I can’t wait to get them into my garden beds. The Andrella Asters are a huge surprise. The seed came from Baker’s Creek Heirloom Seeds. I’ve tried to grow asters in the past with minimal success. The winter sown aster plants are lush and covered with foliage already. I’m so excited about the beautiful asters I’ll have gracing my gardens in a few months from now.
My Square Foot Garden is producing a bounty of leaf lettuces. I am really pleased with the Black Seeded Simpson variety. This was also winter sown and has been planted out for a few weeks. It is a beautiful chartreuse green color and tastes heavenly in my salads. I am planning to mulch around the gardens soon. I am hoping that it will keep some of the critters at bay. This week there was a gang of five rabbits in my yard. Big rabbits, with big chewing teeth, thankfully feasting on the clover in the lawn rather than my garden plants. I am making up more water balloons today.
The earth is in upheaval: strange weather, earthquakes of large magnitude, tornadoes, hurricanes, massive hail storms, volcanic eruptions, flooding, drought. All these things have been experienced throughout history, yet it seems the frequency and the damaging effects of natural disasters is escalating. It’s easy to feel like this tree that grows alongside the Elk Neck River in Maryland’s Elk Neck State Forest.
When I go through the storms of life. I want to be like this tree and hold fast to the rock of my foundation, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Psalm 46 sums up so perfectly how I feel.
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.
A song.
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields[d] with fire. 10He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress
I’ve used a smaller version of this for years. The Ace House and Garden Sprayer was the perfect solution to spraying and defeating the mildew on my porch ceiling. It will also come in handy when it’s time to spray my organic pest deterrents on the gardens. It’s easy to use, but I did need to read the directions thoroughly before I started. It took a little bit of strength to lock the handle in place after pumping, but once I became adept at knowing whether to turn clock-wise or counter clock-wise I had no problems at all.
The purple Iris plants growing in my garden are another one of my “Old Reliables.” Every year, whether wet or dry, cold or unseasonably hot, they bloom without fail. When the sun shines through their thin, but durable petals, they glow with regal grace. The “Culture of Iris” is easy, plant the rhizomes in early summer and the following spring you will reap the rewards.
This year I am determined to watercolor a painting of my gorgeous iris plants.
I love my gardens, and I love pressing flowers, within that statement lies my dilemma. If I pick from my gardens too extensively, I lose the appeal of their mass of colors. I’ve learned over the years to grow the flowers I press in separate containers in an out-of-the-way place. When I grow my pressed flowers this way I can lift the containers onto my potting bench for easy picking, and my gardens don’t begin to look like lush foliage without bloom. The flowers planted in containers also gather less soil on their petals in rainstorms or heavy winds. I buy most of my containers at the dollar store and fill them with inexpensive soil. They do great and having them all in one area saves time too.
The tulips I planted in the Fall are blooming. Planting them late in the season did not affect their size or the brightness of their petals. They were quite the bargain at 75% percent off. Waiting until late in the season was certainly good for my pocketbook, especially since tulip bulbs are not long-lasting, and usually bloom reliably for only a year or two.
Chimes Tower at Longwood Gardens
We spent a few amazing hours at Longwood on Saturday. I hadn’t walked to the Chime tower for a while and was happy to see it surrounded by the tender greens, pinks and apricots of trees leafing out and blooming.
I enjoyed the sky blue of the Agapanthus near one of the entrances.
Easter Lilies were on glorious display throughout the conservatory. Legend tells that Easter Lilies sprang up in the Garden of Gethsamane where Jesus’ tears of blood hit the ground.
“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Luke 12:27
Joe thought it appropriate when I posed on the “Queen Bee” throne in the Children’s Garden. As always Longwood Gardens did not disappoint.
I know I have said it in several posts, but I can’t get enough of Pinterest. I like to blog about the projects I have completed as a direct result of inspiration from Pinterest and the blogs I find through the site. This project was originally from the blog of Lilliedale. Click on the link: Lilliedale to go to directions for this sweet little Spring decoration. It was easy to do, but if you create this craft with children I think it is a project for five plus years. The eggshells are delicate and easily broken and toddler fingers would have a hard time putting the entire project together.
I used brown eggs and a cardboard egg container with foam on the bottom to protect the carton from water. The banner is made out of scraps of things I had around the house: plastic drinking straws, garden string and paper scraps. I planted cat grass and it grows very quickly. I mow it quite frequently with a pair of scissors. I water the small garden every other day a tablespoon at a time.
This craft cost almost nothing. You can use any type of seed you have on hand, or you can even gather some moss from your yard and plant that in the eggshells.
We have camped at Elk Neck State Park for years. As we drive from the town of Northeast, Maryland, toward the state park, we pass a small church on a hillside by the name of Hart’s United Methodist Church. We have taken pictures of the sweet church and its view, and we even stopped once for a yard sale. We always hope that one year when we camp in summer we will be able to attend a service in their Amphitheater set into the hillside. It has never worked out in the past, but this year Joe had off, and I mentioned to him, “Why don’t we camp and go to the Easter “Sonrise” Service at Hart’s Methodist Church. Everything worked out as we planned, and today, at 5:30 AM, our alarm went off, we drank a quick cup of coffee, and drove to the church. All my high expectations were met and then exceeded. The service was heartwarming, even though the seat was cool. The crowd was big. The pastors, Rev. Mary Browne and Rev. K.C. Lee, did an outstanding job of leading the hearts of all attending into true worship. The scripture reading was perfect, the sermon an invitation to bring Easter into our hearts yet a second time when we say to Jesus, “Master, Teacher…Lord.” The song, “He’s Alive,” sung by Jack Foreaker, also reminded us of the sacrifice and the promise of Christ’s death and resurrection. I feel blessed, and I am sure the blessing of the place will dwell in my memory for all my life. Thank you Hart’s Methodist congregation for sharing your place of worship with me today.
Hart’s United Methodist Church Amphitheater History
Pressed Flower Tip #9 Wonder Under (fusible web) works great to cut out shapes from pressed autumn leaves and other flowers and foliage. Draw your shape, remember it will reverse itself after ironing, iron the Wonder Under onto the leaf and then cut out along your drawing lines. The fusible web gives stability to the brittle leaf allowing you to cut it without it crumbling. After cutting the shape out, pull off the backing paper leaving the webbing intact on your leaf or flower. You can now iron the shape to your card or project, or as I prefer to do, glue the piece to your composition. (Ironing can sometimes cause wrinkles and discoloration on your pressed flowers and leaves)
Pressed Flower Tip #10 Before working with pressed flowers be sure your hands are completely free of any cream or oils. Excess oil and handcreams will mar the delicate petals.
Pressed Flower Tip #11 A small round paintbrush works great for moving flowers from storage to project. Tweezers are another good option. To remove pressed flowers that are stuck fast to blotting paper or the page of a book, use a flat brush and gently tease the petal edges away from the page.
Pressed Flower Tip #12 Some flowers brown or lose their vivid color when pressed in the traditional way. In that case, I press my foliage and flowers between the pages of old books and microwave. Make sure the book you choose has no gold edges or gold leafing on the title imprint or spine. Rubber band the book and microwave between 15 to 45 seconds. Let the book sit overnight, or better yet 24-48 hours. Check the flowers. If they feel reasonably dry transfer them to a storage book between pieces of acid free paper. If you leave the flowers in the heating book too long they will bind to the pages.
In my twenty-plus years of pressing flowers I’ve gathered some good techniques and tips. Here is Part II of my list.
Pressed Flower Tip #5 Pressed Flowers are a natural product and will fade in the sunshine. Keep your displays and supplies out of direct sunlight unless enhanced with UV resistant spray or paint.
Pressed Flower Tip #6 For glueless work, create a composition, then reverse order and drop the pressed flowers and foliage backwards onto the tacky side of contact paper. Work front to back. It’s difficult, and easy to make a mistake, but it is great not to have to use glue.
Pressed Flower Tip #7 Some flowers can take a spray of clear acrylic protection, but very thin petals will disappear into nothingness, so save the acrylic sprays for thicker bodied flowers.
Pressed Flower Tip #8 Lace, tulle, and natural papers mix well with pressed flower compositions.
Pressed Johnny-Jump Ups
I’ve been pressing flowers almost every day. Spring is prime time to collect smaller leaves and flowers. I will be sharing a few of my pressed flower tips in my blog over the next few days. Here are my first four tips:
Pressed Flower Tip #1 – Make sure all your plant material is completely dry before pressing. Arrange flowers and foliage between pages of blotting paper and place inside a large book. Weigh the book down with something heavy. Use acid free paper if possible. Wait 1 – 3 weeks and your flowers and foliage will be ready to use.
Pressed Flower Tip #2: Use your pressed flowers to create:
Greeting Cards
Scrapbooking Pages
Bookmarks
Decoupage
Stationery
Candles
Magnets
Jewelry
Resin Paperweights
Windchimes
Pressed Flower Tip #3 Gluing your pressed flowers can be a bit tedious. It pays to start with a reliable glue. These are a few I have found to work well. Rubber cement – This is one of my personal favorites but the fumes can be irritating. If you go beyond the edges sometimes the glue will show in your finished composition. Egg white – Whip it up a bit until frothy and use a thin paintbrush to brush on the glue. White glue – Not one of my favorites, but it does work.
Pressed Flower Tip #4 Sometimes after you glue your project down you will find some of the ends of overlapping petals are still not completely flat. These edges need to be glued down. To apply a small dab of glue beneath the errant petals I use a long floral corsage pin with a drop of glue on the end. The pearl bead on the end makes the pin easy to handle. To find ends of petals that need a dab of glue, lightly blow on the composition and the ends that need a bit of glue will raise up just a fraction, this alerts you to where you need a bit more adhesive.
It’s Tulip Time. These beauties, along with blue hydrangeas, were photographed in the Longwood Garden’s Conservatory in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Longwood is a great Easter Weekend destination for families and flower lovers of all types.
I also like the color combination in the photograph…periwinkle blue and white against beige.
This gorgeous array of salad greens and herbs is a sample of my first Square Foot Garden harvest. The Black-Seeded Simpson and Flame Lettuce leaves were winter sown and grew quickly after they were transplanted into their garden square. The arugula, also winter sown, was planted out yesterday, and had already grown large enough in its milk carton mini-greenhouse to harvest a few of its leaves. The chives have grown in my garden for years, and yesterday I transplanted the clump to a new herb garden, gathering a few spears along the way for my dinner salad. The deep green leaves on the side of the plate are lemon balm. I combine these with slices of ginger root for a delicious and healthy tea. Lemon Balm is said to increase longevity and alleviate anxiety. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and stomach soother.
To read more about my adventures in Winter Sowing check out this post: Winter Sowing
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:24-25
First of all, there was not supposed to be a “Part III” in my Critter Wars post. Sadly, I found more critters, not the outdoor type this time, these are indoor pests.
I have had really good luck growing herbs from seed indoors under lights in my basement. I have been pleased with the success for many reasons, I know they are organically grown, I can grow hundreds for the price of just one in the grocery store, and I can grow a large variety to use in my cooking and crafts.
After the last few days of warring with the outdoor insects and animals, the last thing I wanted to find was a colony of Aphids on my indoor plants.
I found a few Remedies for Aphids on the Internet and followed the directions for the first line of attack: heavy sprays of water. This worked on a few, took them down into the soil and drowned them. In a few hours though, a few hearty pests climbed the stems again and began to set up new colonies. My next attack was with my Homemade Organic Pest Control. This seemed to take out the more determined bugs. A few are still lodged in hiding places in the stems and leaves though, so my next option is to dab with an alcohol soaked Q-tip. If all these remedies fail I will toss the plants in the garbage and begin again. GRRRRR…
